Ministerstwo Pracy i Opieki Społecznej (A.18): Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare RG

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1 Ministerstwo Pracy i Opieki Społecznej (A.18): Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare RG United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW Washington, DC Tel. (202) reference@ushmm.org Descriptive Summary Title: Ministerstwo Pracy i Opieki Społecznej (A.18): Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare Dates: RG Number: RG Accession Number: Creator: Extent: Rzeczpospolita Polska (Government-in-exile) 1,337 digital images: JPEG; 440MB; 10 digital files: PDF; 441 MB. Repository: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives, 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW, Washington, DC Languages: Polish and English. Administrative Information Access: No restrictions on access. Reproduction and Use: Fair use only. The Cooperative Agreement does not clarify restrictions. Preferred Citation: [file name/number], [reel number], RG , Ministerstwo Pracy i Opieki Społecznej (A.18): Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives, Washington, DC. Acquisition Information: Purchased from the Instytut Polski i Muzeum im. Gen. Sikorskiego. Custodial History 1

2 Existence and location of originals: The original records are held by the Instytut Polski i Muzeum im. Gen. Sikorskiego, 20 Princes Gate, London SW7 1 PT, United Kingdom. Tel More information about this repository can be found at Processing History: Aleksandra B. Borecka Historical Note The Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum, commonly known as Sikorski Institute, is a Londonbased non-governmental organization of the Polish minority in United Kingdom. It was created after the Second World War to preserve the memory of Polish armed forces in the West and their contribution to World War II, when the communist takeover of Poland made it hard and dangerous for many Poles to return home, and research and publication on those issues were banned or censored in the People's Republic of Poland. To that goal, the Sikorski institute, named after General Władysław Sikorski, has acted as a museum, archive and publishing house for much of Western Polonia, particularly with regards to Poland and Second World War issues. The Polish government-in-exile was first based in France, but moved to London after the French army surrendered to the Germans in mid The Allies accepted the government-in-exile as the legitimate representative of the Polish people soon after it was created. The government-inexile allied itself with the West, as its members believed that only a total military victory over Germany would restore Poland's independence and freedom. In addition, it amassed its own land, air, and naval forces. In 1942 reports about the mass murder of Jews in Poland reached London; at that point, the Polish government-in-exile made several public declarations on the subject, and officially demanded that the Allied powers stop the Germans from continuing on their murderous crusade. In early 1943 the Polish government-in-exile begged Pope Pius XII to condemn the Nazis' actions. From December 1942 onward, the government-in-exile backed the rescue work of Zegota, which offered aid to Jews throughout occupied Poland. New Polish government established after Germany and the Soviet Union occupied Poland in September The Polish government-in-exile was first based in France, but moved to London after the French army surrendered to the Germans in mid The Allies accepted the government-inexile as the legitimate representative of the Polish people soon after it was created. The government-in-exile allied itself with the West, as its members believed that only a total military victory over Germany would restore Poland's independence and freedom. In addition, it amassed its own land, air, and naval forces. Scope and Content of Collection Contains selected records of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare of the Polish governmentin-exile. Collection includes correspondence relating to worldwide care and aid rendered to Polish citizens, mainly refugees (including Jews), evacuation and geographical population of Polish citizens (also including Jews) from 1942 to The collection also includes general files from 1940 to 1941, 1943, 1944 and The Minister of Labor and Social Welfare from 1939 to 1944 was Jan Stańczyk, followed by Tomasz Arciszewski ( ). Indexing Terms 2

3 Rzeczpospolita Polska (Government-in-exiles) World War, Governments in exile -- Sources. References Guide to the Archives of the Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum, vol. I, compiled and edited by: Waclaw Milewski, Andrzej Suchcitz and Andrzej Gorczycki, Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum, London CONTAINER LIST File Description A.18.1 Correspondence concerning aid and social care in Russia There are a/o the following documents in the file: Copy of the Consul Rosmarin s letter from Kuybyshew of June 27, 1942 relating to the situation of Jews in Russia, their citizenship, cooperation with the Polish Embassy, leaving to Persia together with the Polish Army. Two original dispatches of April 1942 from Emanuel Novogrodski the American envoy of Jewish Bund of NY related to sending money (1,000 USD per month) through the Polish Embassy in Kuybyshev as help for Jewish workers deported to Russia and the letter of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare to the Embassy in that matter. Letter to Schwarzbart concerning the aid for Jews in Russia Dispatch of the Embassy in Kuybyshev of June 23, 1942 concerning complaints connected with the unjust distribution of the aid for Jews Two pages in English language from the J.T.A. Bulletin of June 23, 1942 also concerning the aid for Jews in Russia Correspondence with the Embassy in Washington concerning the Jews in the Polish Army and the aid for them (it became the subject of the World Jewish Congress interest in NY Nachum Goldman s) Correspondence with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as above Correspondence with Agudas Israel Organization of Great Britain matters as above 3

4 Original dispatches from the rabbis from USA and Canada and the letter in that matter to the Ambassador in Kuybyshev (aid for rabbis and students of rabbis schools in Russia) Correspondence with Schwarzbart (including original letter of Oct. 26, 1942 with the copy of Dr. Glueckstein s letter who was in Siberia then attached about anti-semitism of the Polish circles) Copy of the Ambassador Kot s letter concerning Jewish matters in Russia (Sept. 19, 1942). Entire file, ca 300 pages. A.18.2 Deliveries of food and other means to Russia , detailed lists and specifications of the delivered means (many tables), as well as the correspondence and statistics (e.g. the diagram of deliveries from the UDA). Part of matters relate to the aid rendered by Jewish organizations. Entire file. ca 300 pages A.18.5 Evacuation and geographic distribution of people , almost all cases of this file relate more or less to Jews, there are a/o: Original dispatch (16 pages) of Feb. 03, 1943 from the Representation of Polish Jewry in Tel-Aviv concerning the place of stay of the people mentioned in it Hand copy of the letter from the Polish Consulate in NY of Jan. 04, 1943 concerning the emigration of 3,000 Jews from Russia to Palestine (as promised by Ambassador Litwinow) Substantial correspondence in the above matter, Jan.-Feb., 1943, including the list of 72 names: : List of prominent Jewish refugees now in the USSR for whom exit visas should be secured Concerning the evacuation of engineers and technicians, Oct Jan (list with detailed data many Jews) Correspondence with Schwarzbart concerning the evacuation of children to India (there were 75 Jewish children there) Dec Feb Correspondence with Dr. Tartakower from the World Jewish Congress concerning Evacuation of Jews from Russia and the condition of stay of the Jewish refugees in Jamaica, 1943 Concerning The Australian visas for Jews in Russia,

5 Correspondence with the Jewish Search Centre in London, 1944 concerning The information of the evacuation of Jews from Russia Entire file, ca 250 pages A Correspondence of the Ministry with its branch in Teheran, 1944, incl. Detailed reports concerning the course of evacuation from the USSR to Iran, conditions of life in camps, the number of refugees, matters concerning children; lack of separate documents concerning particular Jewish matters. Entire file, ca 250 pages A General files, : Year 1940: Jan. 04, 1940, Letter of Józef Śliwoski, the Secretary General of Polish Jews Abroad with the Annex, 2 pages April 13, 1940, Letter of Minister Ciechanowski to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the attached note from the meeting of Wayne Chatfield Taylor, the delegate of the American Red Cross (also Jewish matters), 3 pages May 30, 1940, Circular Letter of Gen. Kukiel containing The code of agreed contractions/abbreviations for telephone talks (e.g. figures 1-9 and 0 + Blackdog; a bamboo railroad transport, Emilia = Ministry of Military Issues, Jurek the Polish Embassy in England), 9 pages Sept. 20, 1940, Letter of Minister Ciechanowski to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with enclosed note from the meeting with Norman Davies, the President of American Red Cross concerning the relief of the USA for Polish civilians, 4 pages Nov. 22, 1940, Letter, with enclosed report of Mr. Zabiełła from Vichy about the condition of Poles staying in France, 5 pages Nov. 25, 1940, Letter of Minister Ciechanowski with the copy of Mr. Zabiełła s report from Vichy, 7 pages Altogether ca 30 pages Year 1941: 5

6 May 09, 1941, Letter (with enclosures) from the Ministry of Information and Documentation concerning the possible establishment of the Jewish Army, 3 pages May 28, 1941, Letter with enclosure signed by Ullman to the Ministry of Internal Affairs concerning Artur Steingler, the Jewish representative (we allegedly was a communist in Germany, obtained a visa to the USA), 2 pages June 03, 1941, Letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with enclosures, concerning the evacuation to Palestine (lack of directions, Jews ale alarming), 5 pages June 14, 1941, Letter to Minister Stańczyk concerning malcontents in the Bucharest Embassy s attachments working in Palestine (the social care rendered to Jews are questioned), 2 pages June 16, 1941, Hand copy of prime Minister to the American Polish circles with the data concerning the hierarchy of needs for help, 11 pages June 19, 1941, Letter of Dr. Tokarz to Minister Stańczyk concerning the Polish refugees in Cyprus (Jews avoid enlisting to the army), 2 pages Dec. 29, 1941, Letter of the Deputy from Lisbon with the enclosed supplement of the Stawiński s report about the situation in France (numerous arrests, camps, incl. Jewish matters), 4 pages Altogether 29 pages. A General files, 1943: Jan. 12, 1943, Hand copy of the letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerning the interned Polish citizens (Jews) in North Africa (ca 60 people), 2 pages Jan. 20, 1943, Refers to taking care of the Rozensztajn family in North Africa, 2 pages Jan, 27, 1943, Refers to Jews sent from Vichy to Germany, 1 page Jan. 27, 1943, Refers to the action of social care rendered on the territory of North Africa (addressed to Zygielbojm, it goes for ca 500 Jews in Morocco), 4 pages Jan. 30, 1943, Refers to Jews on the territory of North Africa (addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), 6 pages Hand copy of some letter (no date), a/o ref. to the overpopulation of Jews in our posts and serving all Jews mostly, 5 pages 6

7 Feb. 16, 1943, Letter to Adolf Rozensztajn about taking care of his family in Casablanca, 2 pages March 03, 1943, Letter ref. to the action of taking care in North Africa. Lists of Polish citizens in Camp Djelfa (124 people, inc. Jews), 5 pages March 05, 1943, Copy of the Schwarzbart s letter quoting the content of a dispatch to Joint concerning the Jews in Africa, 1 page March 06, 1943, Letters concerning British immigration visas for Celina and Michał the Rozensztajns from Casablanca, 5 pages March 17, 1943, Letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with enclosed letter of the Polish Consulate in Casablanca ref. releasing of Jews from the camps in the French North Africa, pages 3 March 17, 1943, Letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with enclosed reports of the Polish Consulate in Casablanca (incl. Those concerning the number and condition of Jews in Morocco), ca 25 pages, March 18, 1943, To the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerning enclosed reports about the care taken over the camps in North Africa, 4 pages March 30, 1943, Letter of Potworowski about the situation of Polish citizens in France (Jews sent to Germany), 1 page Lists of Polish citizens (incl. Jews) in the camps of Berroughia and Djelfa members of the International Brigade in Spain, 10 pages May 20, 1943, Letter of Col. Leibich with enclosed list of 18 people who arrived in Gibraltar but are too weak to be enlisted (all of them are elderly Jews who were supposed to be sent to the camp in North Africa), 2 pages May 28, 1943, Correspondence concerning the citizenship of people who joined the International Brigade in Spain or the Foreign League (including letters of Wejnrit, Schwarzbart, Gen. Kukiel, St. Mikołajczyk and Czpski), 16 pages June 01, 1943, Letter containing the hand copy of Czapski s letter from Algiers concerning the camp in Djelfa in North Africa ( there was a large group of Jews who arrived, they even do not speak Polish, who spent their lives in Belgium, France, etc.), 3 pages June 04, 1943, Concerning the visas for the Rozensztajn family, 4 pages June 04, 1943, Letter of Karol Maximin with 4 enclosed reports of Maria Danielewiczowa (she was a manager of the Polish Red Cross Office for Searching in Paris) concerning the situation in France (incl. Anti-Semitic atmosphere), 17 pages 7

8 June 07, 1943, Copy of the Schwarzbart s letter about Jews in Algiers and Madrid, 1 page June 07, 1943, Letter concerning the social care rendered in North Africa, 2 pages June 21, 1943, Correspondence with Schwarzbart concerning H. Perlmuter in Algiers, 3 pages July 26, 1943, Concerns 18 refugees (Jews) from Gibraltar, 2 pages Dec. 28, 1943, Correspondence concerning Jews in the camp of Nairobi and sending them to Palestine, 11 pages Altogether ca 137 pages. A General file of 1944: August 12, 1944, Letter to Schwarzbart with enclosures (hand copies of letters) about Jewish children who arrived to Palestine from Africa, 13 pages A General file of 1945: Jan. 26, 1945, Letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerning Haubenstok, who, allegedly is not the representative of Polish Jews for Africa but was only authorized by the World Congress of Jews to take care of them plus other letters in that matter enclosed, 11 pages April 30, 1945, Circular letter of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare informing about the limitation of expenses in Palestine concerning solely the Polish citizens war refugees, signed by the deputy Minister, 4 pages May 30, 1945, Letter of Staszewski from Nairobi with enclosed correspondence (Minister Schwarzbart) con. the arrival of the rabbi to the districts where Jews were living in order to render a religious service to them, 4 pages Altogether ca 19 pages. A General file concerning the Middle East of , to be microfilmed solely: Aug. 10, 1945, Letter containing the list of Polish refugees from Russia inhabiting the territories of East Africa and Rhodesia, Nos , ca 40 pages 8

9 Feb. 1946, London, Study of the Department of Settlement, the section of Population entitled Matters of Population (the course of deportations of , the record and territorial distribution, the analysis of social and vocational relations, summary lists), 26 pages. Altogether ca 66 pages. 9

Contact for further information about this collection

Contact for further information about this collection Delegatura Rządu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej na Kraj. Rada Pomocy Żydom "Żegota ; Rada Narodowościowa; Sekcja Finansowa, and Biuro Delegatura Rządu (Sygn. 202/XV-XVIII), 1941-1945 Records of the Delegacy